Professional Growth Plan

Teacher Professional Growth Plan 


Annual Professional Growth Plan for:  Julie Lowry 

School Year:  2025

Teacher Quality Standard (TQS) Reference Number: 3. Demonstrating a Professional Body of Knowledge 

  • Gaps of knowledge in:
  • TQS 3: Assessment: Provide a variety of methods through which students can demonstrate their achievement of the learning outcomes.


Goal:  Implement a variety of inclusive assessment strategies through a trauma-informed lens to document and address the learning needs of all students.


Breakdown of Goal: 


  • Dedicate time to researching the most recent and relevant theories on teaching through a trauma-informed lens. 
  • Research and implement a variety of inclusive assessment tools to effectively demonstrate student-specific learning. 


Strategies and Timelines:


  • While planning during field IV, I will carve out time to research academic journal articles on trauma-informed teaching to enhance my teaching practices.
  • When planning for differentiation in lesson planning, I will also include differentiated assessment. 
  • Create strength based assessments to build resiliency in children who have experienced trauma. 
  • Give students agency on how they want to be assessed, providing autonomy and reduce stress. 
  • With the help of my partner teacher, I will learn new ways to carve out time within the class for individual or small group assessment using a variety of different assessment tools. 
  • Include documentation of social-emotional development to customize assessment strategies based on individual student needs.
  • Collaborate with stakeholders to gain a deeper understanding of student’s learning and social-emotional needs.
  • Document and review student learning in a variety of ways such as checklists, informal observations, pedagogical documentation, running records, etc.


Indicators of Success/Expected Outcomes: 


  • Students will be able to demonstrate their learning more effectively.
  • Students will be engaged, excited and confident in their learning and understand their next learning steps.


Resources to support my learning needs: 


Websites

  • The National Child Traumatic Stress Network: https://www.nctsn.org/resources/child-trauma-toolkit-educators
  • Trauma-Informed Care Resource Guide: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1d4qCpBl73RBDxhibRoKi93YFX3vJChCW/view
  • Harvard University - Centre of the Developing Child: https://developingchild.harvard.edu/


Peer Support

  • University of Calgary Indigenous Studies Faculty member 
  • U of C Student Peer Group


Referent Group

  • Partner Teacher


Articles

Downey, J., & Greco, J. (2023). Trauma sensitive schools: A comprehensive guide for the assessment planning and implementation of trauma informed frameworks. Children and Youth Services Review, 149, 106930-. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.childyouth.2023.106930


Hooper, A., Hyder, M., Colclough, T., & Mann, D. (2023). Re-Envisioning Learning through a Trauma-Informed Lens: Empowering Students in their Personal and Academic Growth. The Journal of Scholarship of Teaching and Learning, 23(3). https://doi.org/10.14434/josotl.v23i3.35234


MacDonald, M. (2007). Toward formative assessment: The use of pedagogical documentation in early elementary 

classrooms. Early Childhood Research Quarterly, 22(2), 232–242. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecresq.2006.12.00


Tai, J., Ajjawi, R., & Umarova, A. (2024). How do students experience inclusive assessment? A critical review of contemporary literature. International Journal of Inclusive Education, 28(9), 1936–1953. https://doi.org/10.1080/13603116.2021.2011441


Reflections: Reflections based on my professional practice and my observations of student learning to come!